Love/Hate Lockdown

My feelings about Kanye West have always been mixed. He’s got a couple things going for him:

Chicago connection, I love.
Mama’s boy, I love.
Stylish, I love.
Music creativity, I love.
Friends with Common, I LOVE.

However, in the few run-ins I’ve had with him over the years he’s acted like an unmitigated jackass. Pretty much general megalomaniacal behavior, but he’s a pro at giving it added douche-y flair. Let us not forget this gem. Most of the time I just chalk it up to persona and bravado. If I’m really annoyed, I sort of separate the man from the music.

So, against my better judgement, I’m really feeling Kanye right now.

His show at Lollapalooza this August was the perfect ending to an already rockin’ weekend. The set was so masterful, every single song resonated with the sold out hometown crowd. That show (which was not my first) made me realize how creative, innovative and versatile he actually is. Fine. I’m willing to give it to him.

All of my rental cars of late have had XM radio in them. I’m a Sirius girl at home, so I am completely lost when it comes to navigating XM channels. With no First Wave to listen to, I usually just end up on the top 20 channel. They have been playing the hell out of this song for months and I adore it.

Estelle’s voice is really perfect for this type of track and the rest of her John Legend-produced album, Shine, is just as stellar. However, I think it’s Kanye who really shines in this song. I even love him in the video. Foiled again!

Finally, I noticed earlier this month that he had a new single on iTunes (my virtual home-away-from-home). He’s always worth a try even if I end up being meh on the song, so I gave it a listen.